Low US Labor Participation

“Unemployment held steady at 5.1%, but only 59.2% of Americans have a job.” – Quartz

Despite job growth and a declining unemployment since the worst of the Great Recession, the percentage of Americans with jobs remains nearly constant. While the number of Americans with jobs is easier to count, unemployment data are complicated by the decision to not count certain unemployed people. There are shifts within the employment participation. Younger people are less likely to be employed, possibly because they are remaining in school when they can’t find a good enough job. Older people are more likely to work longer because the impacts of the retirement crisis means people can’t quit, even if they want to. The other shift over the last few decades has been that, as more women get jobs, and as the total participation rate remains constant, more men are unemployed.

(Click on the graph for the link.)

“If Nearly 40% Of Americans Aren’t Working, What Are They Doing” – Quartz